Academia Europaea

Academia Europaea

Formation	1988 (1988)
Founders	Arnold Burgen, Hubert Curien, Umberto Columbo, David Magnusson, Eugen Seibold, Ruud van Lieshout
Headquarters	London
President	Sierd Cloetingh
Vice President, Honorary Treasurer	Ole Holger Petersen
The Secretary to the Board	David Coates
Website	www.ae-info.org

The Academia Europaea is an independent learned society and European Union’s Academy of Humanities and Sciences.^[1][2]

On the initiative of Royal Society and other National Academies in Europe, the Academia was founded in 1988 as the functioning Europe-wide Academy that encompasses all fields of scholarly inquiry.^[2] It elects members from 47 Council of Europe states in recognition of their academic achievements, and announcement of election result has been celebrated by several institutions as a significant honour each year.^[3][4][5][6] Elected members are entitled to the post-nominal letters MAE.

The Academia serves as official advisor to the European Union under the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) created by the European Commission.^[7] Assisted by the SAM secretariat, the Academia works together with the All European Academies (ALLEA), European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), Euro-CASE and Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM) to form a consortium called Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA).^[8] SAPEA pulls together scientific expertise from the Academia that represents the continent and more than 100 European national academies from over 40 countries, collectively providing independent policy advice to the European Commissioners.^[9]

History

The concept of a 'European Academy of Sciences' was raised at a meeting in Paris of the European Ministers of Science in 1985. The initiative was taken by the Royal Society (United Kingdom) which resulted in a meeting in London in June 1986 of Arnold Burgen (United Kingdom), Hubert Curien (France), Umberto Columbo (Italy), David Magnusson (Sweden), Eugen Seibold (Germany) and Ruud van Lieshout (the Netherlands) – who agreed to the need for a new body. The two key purposes are:

• express ideas and opinions of individual scientists from Europe

• act as co-ordinator of European interests in national research agencies

The objectives were kept deliberately broad covering the humanities, social and natural sciences, so as to ensure interdisciplinary discourse and activities. Initial modalities were to include annual meetings of members, multidisciplinary meetings, an interdisciplinary journal, a newsletter, providing independent advice, improving mobility of scholars within Europe and improving public understanding of science.

The new body was named the Academia Europaea and its Foundation Meeting was held in Cambridge in September 1988 under the first President, Arnold Burgen. Hubert Curien, who was at that time the French Minister of Science (and later became the second President of the Academia) arrived by helicopter and gave the inaugural address and provided the active support of the French government. The first Plenary Meeting was held in London in June 1989, by which time there were 627 members.

Since 1989, there has been a period of remarkable changes to the scientific, political and economic landscape of the continent of Europe. The Academia Europaea has evolved within this environment, from its origins as an organisation of predominantly "western European" scholars, into a uniquely independent body - a truly pan-European Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Letters.

The funding of the Academy is based on an original endowment, contributions from some of the member countries, special projects and by other organisations like the Academia Leopoldina who is also supporting the Academia Europaea financially.^[10]

Mission

The Academy:

• Promotes a wider appreciation of the value of European scholarship and research.

• Makes recommendations to national governments and international agencies concerning matters affecting science, scholarship and academic life in Europe.

• Encourages interdisciplinary and international research in all areas of learning, particularly in relation to European issues.

• Identifies topics of trans-European importance to science and scholarship, and propose appropriate action to ensure that these issues are adequately studied.

The Academy will endeavour to:

• Encourage the highest possible standards in scholarship, research and education.

• Promote a better understanding among the public at large of the benefits of knowledge and learning, and of scientific and scholarly issues which affect society, its quality of life and its standards of living.^[11]

Presidents

• Arnold Burgen (1988–1994)
• Hubert Curien (1994–1997)
• Stig Strömholm (1997–2002)
• Jürgen Mittelstraß (2002–2008)
• Lars Walløe (2008-2014)
• Sierd Cloetingh (since 2014)

Academic management

The scholarly interests of the Academia are managed through a section structure. On election, all members are assigned to a section. At the present time there are twenty academic sections covering

• Applied and Translational Biology^[12]
• Behavioural Sciences^[13]
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology^[14]
• Cell Biology^[15]
• Chemical Sciences^[16]
• Classics & Oriental Studies^[17]
• Earth and Cosmic Sciences^[18]
• Economics, Business and Management Sciences^[19]
• History & Archaeology^[20]
• Informatics^[21]
• Law^[22]
• Linguistic Studies^[23]
• Literary & Theatrical Studies^[24]
• Mathematics^[25]
• Musicology & History of Art & Architecture^[26]
• Organismic and Evolutionary Biology^[27]
• Philosophy, Theology & Religious Studies^[28]
• Physics and Engineering Sciences^[29]
• Physiology and Medicine^[30]
• Social Sciences^[31]

Award and prizes

• Membership of the Academia Europaea is awarded annually to selected scientists
  Main article: Member of Academia Europaea
• Erasmus Medal Lecture^[32] is a highlight of the year of the Academia Europaea. It is awarded to honour individual European scholarship and achievements over a sustained period.
• The Academia Europaea Burgen Scholarships^[33] provide recognition to younger European scholars, at the post-doctoral level, who are emerging talents and possible potential future leaders in their fields.
• The Russian Prizes^[34] for young scientists and scholars in Russia.
• The Gold Medal of the Academia Europaea^[35] is awarded to non-members of the Academia and to organisations in recognition of the contribution made to European science through inspiration, public support, management expertise or by financial means.

Publications

The Academia Europaea has published the 'European Review' (ER) since 1993 on behalf of members and in conjunction with the Cambridge University Press (since 1998). The ER is a quarterly, peer reviewed and international journal.

Editorial control is in the hands of an independent board. The European Review publishes articles and reviews that will be of broad interest to an intellectual readership, world-wide. Contributions come from academics, professionals and those in public life and address multi, and interdisciplinary issues across the sciences arts, humanities and Letters. The Review provides the AE with a vehicle for publication of articles from sponsored conferences and workshops. The editorial board invites specific contributions and reviews from leading opinion formers world-wide. The review has become available fully on-line from Cambridge University.^[36]

Offices

The registered office and headquarters of the Academia Europaea is based in London. This is also the location of the General Secretariat. In collaboration with local and regional partners, the Academia Europaea has established a number of regional hubs:^[37]

• The Academia Europaea Knowledge Hub Wrocław^[38] - operational since January 2012 with focus on: knowledge activities, including international events, summer schools, lecture series and high-level expert panes and `Emeritus` scholarship; support to Central and Eastern European scholars.
• The Academia Europaea Barcelona Knowledge Hub^[39] - operational since January 2013 with focus on the promotion of multidisciplinary scientific activities that include the perspective of the social sciences and the humanities.
• The Academia Europaea Knowledge Hub Region Bergen^[40] - operational since spring 2014 with focus on Northern Seas related Resources - Opportunities - Challenges Advancing Europe`s Northern Seas Dimension.
• Graz Information Centre^[41] - founded in 2010 is responsible for the development and application of the nomination system and membership administration and registration.

See also

The Academia Europaea is not to be confused with the following two entities, both of which are not admitted to any European umbrella academy organisation and have been described by Nature journal as "controversial."

• European Academy of Sciences^[42]

• European Academy of Sciences and Arts^[43]

References

External ink

Media related to Academia Europaea at Wikimedia Commons